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Monday, May 28, 2012

NARS Buenos Aires Velvet Gloss Pencil

With its Summer 2012 Collection, NARS introduced Buenos Aires, a Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil ($24). The glossy nude beige-pink looked pretty online, so I ordered one in April.

Moving around the globe, Buenos Aires is a wear-with-anything nude beige-pink Velvet Gloss Pencil named after the capital of Argentina. It combines the ease of a pencil with the finish of a gloss for a quintessential modern classic.

Sounded nice, right? I soured on it right away. It broke on first use. I wasn't pressing down hard when I applied it. Just normally, I thought, for a lip pencil. We got off to a bad start. It didn't get better when I examined the color on my lips. It's too light and reminds me of the nudes of yesteryear. I think it makes me look wan. I threw it in a pile of unloved makeup.

I'm finally showing it to you. Maybe this nude shade is one that will grab you. Just heed my warning. Don't press down at all when you apply the creamy pencil. Once the tip breaks off, all you can do is jam the full piece down into the pencil housing and hope you don't lose it when you remove the cap of the pencil. Yes, I know I should have returned it. With Mom needing special attention over the last few months, an e-mail to get a shipping label plus packing time didn't excite me. Plus, NARS does not refund the original shipping costs.


Here's the namby-pamby shade. This nude shade has very little pink in it. I can't figure out whether the pink I see is from my own lip pigment or the shade. It's probably me.

I wouldn't recommend this new shade from NARS. There's a place for it, but not in my house. Just a smidge more color could have made this shade a winner. Unless you are a nude lip color addict, wait for the next best thing.

Did you buy it? What do you think? If any of my contest winners wants it, just tell me in your e-mail when I notify you. It is broken and was used once, so that's not a particularly generous offer.

Photo at top courtesy of NARS; other photos by Best Things in Beauty

9 comments:

  1. I have this and fortunately so far the tip is staying where it's supposed to be. I had been looking for something a little different from the pinks and reds I usually wear (eh, sometimes you need a break!).

    It's one of the rare nudes that does not make me look as if I've erased my lips however I don't pile it on so I suspect my natural lip color which has a mauve-pink cast to it peeks through and helps it look alive.

    The only other lipstick I have that is similar is the Dior Addict Extreme in Incognito. Comparing both side to side, one makes a warm version of my lips, the other makes a more mauve-nude (Dior) version. Both need to be worn in moderation because a heavy coat can wash me out. I need my natural lip color to show through a bit.

    And that's my story! :)

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  2. I haven't tried the lip pencils since I'm afraid they'll break or I'll have to sharpen them! I'm sorry to hear yours broke--- but I'm glad you posted. I was considering trying Buenos Aires recently and should consider that before trying!

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  3. Really? I'm eyeing on that product, thanks for the info. What other line of product can you recommend for nude lip pencil?

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  4. I always wished I could pull off a nude lip--but I'm sadly one of those people that looks like a corpse no matter what shade of nude I try. The closest I can get is nudey-rose shade.

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  5. Hi Evelyn,

    I'm glad yours is intact! I knew there would be someone who would love it. It's a nude that just doesn't look right on me. It's lighter than my lips.

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  6. Hi Dovey,

    I think there are better choices - but we have different coloring, so maybe you'll like it. I'd try it in a store first, if you can. Had I done that, I wouldn't have ordered it.

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  7. Reena, I am the wrong person to ask about nude lip pencils. Anyone?

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  8. Me too, yesplease. I should just give up. I should also have realized that this one wouldn't work for me because other NARS nudes don't work.

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  9. I purchased this shade, but it looked too pale with my skin tone:(...., but it is a beautiful color. And when I swatched it on my hand, I loved it under the Nars Lip Gloss "Golder Digger". It was a great combo swatched.

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